Underground vs Mainstream – RRRAWRR!!!

just some late night, post-party-action thoughts:

underground….

to me underground refers to an essence of attitude and perspective, a spirit of dissent mixed with inspiration, a do-it-yourself approach that bypasses traditional systems for more communal (hence more authentic) ones. And so much more. It means fearless, smart, real, true, and many other things. It can mean raw and cutting edge, even secret, even illegal. It can mean unpopular, or it can simply mean non-mainstream.

Can something underground permeate the mainstream? Can it enter it? Change it? incorporate it? Participate with it?

I think so.

Robin Hood robbed from the rich to feed the poor. He believed in a vision, an underground one, and i’m sure he often looked like he was compromising when in the end he was following his heart and serving community.

Since i began really having my own thoughts and identity as a person, i have always relished in the underground…in freaky things. In styles/genres/pheonomenon that were under the radar, sometimes frightening or obscene, sometimes violent, sometimes extreeeeeemely NON-mainstream, even anti-mainstream.

But, even with that underground spirit, i have also never looked at the world with cut and dry eyes.

There always seems to be a million different sides to a coin, multiple doorways at any pass. I do not think of myself or anything i do as mainstream. Yet i will happily enter the mainstream, just as one might enter the Matrix, on a specific mission. Somethings can’t be helped (i pay a Verizon bill, god damn them, every month. Or i pump my car full of bloody oil, or i – simply by living here – contribute to the vast monolith of the American Military Industrial Complex, with pretty much any dollar i earn or spend…) but the attitude that pervades all things can…and i stay true to that. Not because i choose that, but because i am that.

I trust myself. And a lot of the “work” i am doing on my mission is so much more complex than it appears…although it may be totally fruitless, goofy, trite, or easy to tease, i BELIEVE IN SOMETHING, and i am following my heart on that path.

That alleviates me from any stupid misperceptions someone might have about me or my motives and empowers me to flow more freely on my path. That stuff is useless.

The details of these visions and intentions are too vast to sum up quickly, but it centers on a commitment to humanistic connectedness, compassion, creativity, inspiration, the pursuit of truth, the critique of reality; and reaching harder than i thought possible for the light at the end of the tunnel, and RAAAAAAAAGING against the dying of that light.

So if i end up paying Verizon each month, know 3 things:

1. I am aware of the paradox
2. I dislike it
3. I make the educated, thoughtful decision to take the lesser of two evils

And if Bassnectar does something that seems like it wasn’t something you expected, HAVE A LITTLE FAITH. If we play a “mainstream” venue…its probably because we are on an outreach mission and want to tap in to an audience we couldn’t otherwise reach.

I heard a lot of people complain about the show we did tonight in Colorado. It was definitely a mainstream show, and here are some of the reasons i am so happy we did it:

1. We played to a whole new audience tonight. MASSIVE!
2. We enjoyed widespread radio play, including messages about Dick Cheney ON THE AIR that i highly doubt have ever been aired before. A personal pet project of mine.
3. We connected with new people, and new crew, and more importantly, we made connections that will open doorways for bigger, crazier things like this in the future.

And is that where i see Bassnectar going? Only big, sell-out mainstream corporate bullshit shows? FUCK OFF>..no Way.

No Way.

We will still play small shows, we will still do insane 3 month road tours, we will still kill it at festivals, and rage underground venues, but we also might do some wierd wedding, or a high school graduation, or a fucking street festival, or the Gay Pride Parade, or a live Jazz set at a conference for Elvis Impersonators, or the back of a truck at a protest, or the middle of nowhere with the bass knob on 11.

But it’s not all about the music for me. It’s about the community, and what feels like a movement. As cheesy as that might sound, that is genuinely how i look at it. This isn’t a music career, this is a social experiment. And it will end at some point. And before it vanishes, it will bend and change and morph and in the meantime, TRUST ME…

Im not a wanker, i am not a sell out, i am fucking CONVICTED and i’m on the warpath. If i do something you think sounds suspicious give me the benefit of the doubt, assume i am up to some shenanigans. not just some super-simple schmuck who has no self awareness or integrity.

Earlier this year i was offered 250,000$ to play 10 shows, sponsored by an alcohol company, on a kind of corporate tour.

I didn’t really even balk at the obvious objection (“oh its sponsored. by Alcohol! Oh that’s so bad”) because EVERYTHING is fucking sponsored. Our entire country is a cheap whore bought out to the last straw by anyone with enough money. We are so inverted and cheaply betrayed, it is an ILLUSION that you can function and make waves without navigating through these messy waters. Running off to nonstop cults of escapism won’t save you…and living “off the grid” does nothing for anyone else.

Anyhow, back to my story. So i was offered all this loot, and i thought, WHAT IF, we take it, and spend the typical 5,000-10,000$ on the production of each show, and after another 30% goes to management, and the crew is paid, etc, let’s say there is still 10,000$ per show. Leaving, as all you mathematicians out there know: $100,000 minimum.

So we could have kind of a community-sponsored contest of where and how to spend that money in areas that we think are important, kind of a give back mentality. Plus i bet we could have made the shows FAR MORE SAVAGE and off the hook than the corporate minds would have ever imagined.

But they passed on it, because they thought that would get too much press, and they were (UNDERSTANDABLY) doing this for promotion, not charity.

So it was bagged. But i held true to my heart.

And as for this show tonight in colorado, at a “mainstream” venue:

before this show, I had NEVER HEARD OF any of the bands playing (All American Rejects, Goldfinger, etc) …i am just not watching TV or listening to Radio, or tapped in enough to be exposed. And so when a lot of people were bitching about the lineup, i was like “huh? whats the problem”
At the end of the day, it was a wierd gig…i watched maybe 4000 people walk out in a flood when the last band played their last song. But i expected that. What i didn’t expect was the 4,000 who stayed, some who were hardcore BN fans (some who drove from Chicago JUST for that set, one of whom i believe i got to quit smoking cigarettes tonight! kung-FU!), some who were like 14 or 15 year olds and had NEVER heard anything like that before, and some who were just totally caught off guard. It felt great to connect, and we had a blast.

thanks for tuning in.

So much more to come, in all shapes and all sizes

See you all in the fuuuuuuture

WELCOME TO THE JANGLE

Currently in the quivering arms of Bezerkeley, at Casa de Bass, realizing i’ve got quite a lot of new bass-cakes in the oven, several of which are ready for you to consume fully.

We will be giving out a new bootleg in the next few days, as well as dropping a new release this weekend, then heading off to the Rocky Mountains for Sonic Bloom…

I remember the first Sonic Bloom, i felt sooooo carefree at the Mishawaka… such perfect weather, such GORGEOUS river waterfall lushness. Such epic sounds and wobble, and then the next thing i knew i had drank waaayyyyyy too much tequila, and was pee-ing on Kyrian’s leg, dressed like a character out of some bad fairy tale, ranting about nonsense, begging my friend Travis not to let me puke. It was good good gooooooood times. Thank god that all went down after my set. Can’t very well be pee-ing unabashedly on Kyrian’s leg while im playing a set, now can i?

So this weekend i shall return for another round of antics, perhaps sans the grotesque amount of the Devil’s Drink. Or perhaps not. There is really no telling, and since none of us here are mind readers, let’s change the subject and turn now to our gear section for a review!

IN THE GEAR CORNER WITH BASSNECTAR’s OWN LEVONNE YOLANDO JONES.
Levonne?

“Yes, hi. Levonne here, reporting and reviewing on all the latest gedgetry to hit the streets.

This month’s device is called the Akai APC40. We Ableton users have all been waiting desperately for the orgy of bright buttons and knobs and faders, and it has arrived to much fanfare, hub-ub, and excitement.

And after all the waiting:

The new Akai APC40 = meh.

meh.

its the perfect word for our ungrateful generation. and i will now use that word to describe this much anticipated, highly unimpressive piece of gadgetry. One day soon i will likely eat my words, as i so often do, and you will see me flagrantly noodling away on one, but for now, my review is an unequivocal “MEH”

a resounding, unforgiving “meh.”

I got about as far as realizing that this will not fit in any backpack or travel case (in part due to its POINTLESSLY diagonal sides) and its knobs that turn infinitely and are maybe useful to someone who isn’t a TOTAL KNOB JUNKIE WHO IS BLINDED BY THEIR OWN HAIR, but when you are in the thick of it, you need to be able to TOUCH A KNOB, know exactly where its at, and cuurrrrve that parameter with total precision in accordance with your god-given will…

this device does not allow the accuracy needed to execute the perfect sweep, it does not fit into any carry on luggage, and so, for now, it’s pretty little lights and faders will moonwalk their way back to Guitar Center from whence they came.

I’m Levonne Yolando Jones, reporting live for Bassnectar Lab’s IN THE GEAR CORNER.”

Onward and upward.

Not expecting a sponsorship from Akai anytime soon but….

Check back this weekend for some new musica.

Flipping the script now with an unabashed nod to real, genuine struggle – aside from playful and materialistic distraction ceremonies, lots of REAL TIME SHIT is going down in the Middle East. A simple 5 minutes a day of checking in on the situation, discussing it with friends, and keeping the story fresh in people’s minds is important because it goes a long way. Even when our press stops reporting on it, these things can go on for a long time, often getting worse, but over here it is out of sight, out of mind. Finding solidarity with those in the struggle is a great way to support them.

If you haven’t already seen the horrible video of that girl Neda get shot and die before her father’s eyes, i recommend doing so. It is so unpleasant and disturbing, but it confronts your mind with real live serious shit going on RIGHT NOW. It is important to confront those kinds of things that we have the luxury to AVOID seeing…solidarity with those who do not have that same luxury helps empower us to avoid those things in our own lives and ideally it empowers us to share our blessings and share energy, time, and life force with those who are less fortunate.

I just spoke with a friend of mine whose very own cousin was TAKEN AWAY ONLY YESTERDAY!!! This is seriously tyrannical stuff. I know Michael Jackson just passed away, and that is super touching/nostalgic/newsworthy but it should not eclipse my friend’s 20 year old cousin being STRAIGHT HIJACKED AND THROWN IN PRISON for protesting. Again, not trying to rant here, just saying i would like to cast my vote for balance: 1/2 parts goofy/fun/artistic/loving/appreciative and 1/2 parts defiant/raw/serious/powerful/unstoppable because we can choose what we allow to happen, and if we party party all the time, we allow lame shit like this to go down. And if we work all the time Jack becomes a dull boy and that’s never a good thing either…

Not to sound self righteous, i just feel bad letting Levonne rant away about plastic gadgets when people are neck-deep in such intense struggles for the privileges that we take for granted over here, so i wanted to balance it out with some awareness of the other end of the very real spectrum.

Much love!
L

Bass & Beatz 4 Homeless Youth

Hey!!!

First off, thanks a lot to all of Ye who came through Bassnectar.net and checked out the new features, grabbed the music, etc.

I just got 5 new Bassnectar joints back from mastering today!!!! WOO HOO!!! Honestly i had to exercise some serious discipline to not just huck them right up onto the site as soon as i got them back! WHY WAIT!!!! I’m going to enjoy playing them over the next months tour first…give them the road test…

Speaking of road tests, the custom created PK Sound has crossed the border and is heading down to Wobble Factory headquarters… thats right our friends Ari, Jer, Jon and the whole squad of Canadians have merged with Dylan, Big Tony, and the California team to build a custom sound system, and we will be bringing it out on tour in 2009 like a pack of MAD PEOPLE!!!!!

So the point of this little post is i just came across a video that was developed in promotion of an event we will be at this weekend, alongside Pinback and Matisyahu, that benefits HOMELESS YOUTH IN SAN DIEGO.

Elemental Experience
Saturday May 2, 2009
Please check it out, or click here if you can’t see the video below:

the line up is pretty courageously eclectic, and i am honored to be pumping out thick musical frequencies at sunset outdoors this saturday…

Last time we were in San Diego was a right proper bassbath @ The Belly Up, and we thought is would be fun to come throw down at a kind of free form community event… Check out that video and if you feel like throwing down for a good cause, we’d love to see you out there.

After that its offfff tooo thaaaa raaaaces and we are on road tour for many nights, i’ll keep in touch online when possible.

And if i can get it past the “censors” i will drop some new bass flesh on the site for your hungry ear drums.

MUCH LOVE!

L

Up Late, Lost in Computers

spent all day recording an entire samba/batucada chorus line

end of the day theres 46 separate tracks of FULLY FRANTIC insanity…every sound and drum i could imagine. its ABSOLUTELY bezerk.

another 16 hour day in the labs, not even the slightest  exxageration…gotsa make my time at home COUNT, cuz soon ill be out  on the road goin CROSSEYED…and clinging on for dear life. amidst it all i had a free moment, and enjoyed quite a nice email  from my sweet mom.

she set this to me:

at first i was thrown off by the title…but its SO precious

and then i found some more links:

wowzaaaaa….
we humans are FECKIN loco amazing

hopefully you will enjoy these links if you haven’t seen them already/
or even if you HAVE…there really isn’t much novelty lost on seeing
cute babies

crazy innocent, crazy alive, their universes so micro-centered and SO
authentic.

Easter Jam

Hello to All blog-lets and readers of womp

this is me today…

after posing shirtless on a rooftop with 4 BB gun rifles and a bike helmet for a cellphone photo shoot, i had the fortune to live vicariously by looking downward into the neighbor’s green lawn. I spent a few moments overlooking 3 mexican kids on an easter egg hunt, listening to their gorgeous voices and nostalgically feeling the mystique and excitement of my own lost childhood.

Later, after eating plantains, i went to the flea market and stopped to take a picture with this random woman, who was trying to sell cheap kitchen cutlery.

i nicknamed her several things, most accurately Esmerelda Javier Fernandez.

Viva E.J.F.

What to do now?

Hey!!!

Full bassnectar update coming soon i promise! so much cookin in this oven, but i wanna take some time to put into the next update, and for now, this is a small note about WHAT TO DO NOW?

in terms of ….obama is elected, bush is “gone” and the economy is TANKING.

I can’t imagine anything easier after such a push over the past few years to just relax now that “our guy” is in the Whitehouse.

In fact, a politically-themed email seems almost exhausting to read, doesn’t it?

Well anyhow, when i got this latest MoveOn.org email i found myself feeling disinterested…just kind of like “ug! havent i thought about this stuff enough already???!” but sure enough, the answer is no.

NOW MORE THAN EVER is our time to buck-the-fuck-up and get our hands dirty… i think it is finally a time when our voices will be louder, and more necessary than ever. The financial crisis is extremely serious…and in large part is due to policies (and people) of the past, whose residue is still thick.

have a gander at this, i think it is UBER crucial to insist on sme transparency and ACCOUNTABILITY for ANYONE in a place of power/money/media.

this is important in my opinion:

“Congress must place enforceable, common-sense limits on salaries at all the banks that have taken taxpayer dollars.”

Sign the petition

Dear MoveOn member,

Last Friday, Sen. Claire McCaskill took to the Senate floor and said what I imagine a lot of us have been thinking about Wall Street lately:

“They don’t get it. These people are idiots. You can’t use taxpayer money to pay out $18 billion in bonuses…What planet are these people on?”1

Sen. McCaskill was reacting to the $18.4 billion in bonuses that Wall Street bankers took home in 2008. $18.4 billion going to the people who crippled our economy with their recklessness and greed and then took $700 billion of our money.2
Yesterday, President Obama took an important first step, limiting pay at companies taking bailouts going forward.3 But Congress is considering going even further, applying the limits retroactively and even taking back some of the most extravagant bonuses at firms that took taxpayer money.4

A huge public outcry will give them momentum and push them to real action. Can you sign this petition to Congress, urging them to act now to rein in Wall Street greed? Clicking here will add your name.

The petition says: “Congress must place enforceable, common-sense limits on salaries at all the banks that have taken taxpayer dollars.”

Wall Street’s defenders make all kinds of excuses about why the bonuses were justified.  They say that bonuses are an accepted part of compensation packages on Wall Street, that those receiving bonuses weren’t the ones who lost their firms billions of dollars, and that they need to pay bonuses to retain top talent.5

Those arguments are outrageous.

If automatic bonuses are a part of Wall Street culture, that culture has to change—a firm that’s still afloat only because of huge taxpayer bailouts shouldn’t be paying bonuses. And while tens of thousands of Wall Street employees are losing their jobs, it’s hard to believe that those still employed will go looking for new positions because they didn’t get a bonus.
Sen. McCaskill showed courage standing up to the status quo. We’ve got to show the rest of Congress that this is the kind of leadership we need to get us out of this crisis and make the economy work for all Americans. Limiting pay at companies taking bailouts won’t fix our financial system—that will take a lot more hard work—but it’s an important first step.

Can you tell Congress to rein in Wall Street’s excesses now and then pass this petition on to your friends? Clicking here will add your name.

Thanks for all you do.

–Daniel, Peter, Justin, Marika and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “McCaskill Proposes Compensation Cap For Private Companies Getting Federal Dollars,” Senate Newsroom, January 30, 2009

http://mccaskill.senate.gov/newsroom/vid_013009.cfm

2. “What Red Ink? Wall St. Paid Fat Bonuses,” The New York Times, January 28, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/business/29bonus.html

3. “Obama Outlines Limits on Executive Pay,” The Washington Post, February 5, 2009

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51145&id=15503-6839695-.fzcGrx&t=5

4. “Despite Treasury’s New Rule, Senators Aren’t Giving Up Their Push to Cap CEO Pay,” TPMDC, February 4, 2009

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51146&id=15503-6839695-.fzcGrx&t=6

5. “‘Meet the Press’ transcript for Feb. 1, 2009,” MSNBC.com, February 1, 2009

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28964188/page/5/

Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way.

YES WE DID!!!!!!!!

VOTING DETAILS: How To, When, Where, What, Voters Guide, ETC

whats up everybody!!!

the tour has been incredibly off the hook, i am so grateful for all the support and high energy and nonstop enthusiasm. THANK YOU!!!

So the election is THIS TEUSDAY!
i do not need to preach to the converted, or yap your ear off. it’s simple:

1. We MUST maximize our democracy and we MUST vote the Republicans out of office. we MUST make Obama the next president.
But beyond that, are TONS of local issues that affect you and your family. MAXIMIZE the democracy by getting involved…EDUCATE yourself.

2. You can make an enormous difference by taking a few hours over the next few days and make sure everyone you know is going to vote or already has. Help your friends and your friend’s friends, and your friend’s parents, and your enemies parents and your parole officer and your girlfriend’s neighbor FIND THEIR VOTING PLACE and make sure they go and vote. (whoever thinks they are too cool to vote or talk politics in this country is a fool and does not deserve the constitutional rights that they have)

3. There are a LOT of issues besides the obvious presidential issue. Loads of propositions, and congressional/senate votes too! Lots of LOCAL issues too! Lots of BAD IDEAS with good names, seeking your (our) money, and vice versa. SO YOU MUST EDUCATE YOURSELF AND EACH OTHER. (a great example of this is the california initiative: Alternative Fuels And Renewable Energy. GREAT NAME RIGHT?? except this is a FUCKED initiative wit a nice name…be careful of the names of these things… you gotta RESEARCH)
***In california, BOTH INITIATIVES with nice eco-friendly names are BAD for the cause, they are tricking you. great example of how important it is to RESEARCH and EDUCATE YOURSELF before voting.

4. Below is a voting guide. I used it. i trust it, but YOU SHOULD READ IT and decide for yourself. i vote in accordance with The League of Women VOters about 90% of the time…they are ON POINT. my friends at False Profit also have some really good insight. Read, and then decide for yourself. GET OUT THERE AND CRUSH IT, MY FRIENDS!!!!!

(i happen to know more about the California issues than other places, but if you research trustworthy sources like LWV and Green Party you are on the right track.)

NATION WIDE:
You can find your ballot & polling place for ANY state by visiting:

http://www.smartvoter.org/

the “official website” of the California secretary of state w/info on voting in California:

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/

league of women voter’s California proposition recommendations

http://ca.lwv.org/action/prop0811/flyer.html

Also, here are the green party recommendations on California ballot propositions: http://www.cagreens.org/elections/2008/Propositions.081104.shtml

ANNDD…..
Here is the False Profit guide to the propositions. I voted with an absentee ballot, but if i was home i would vote early and i would follow this:

California Propositions

• Prop 1A: High-speed rail from SF to LA – YES
This proposition would authorize about $10 billion in bonds, which would be used in conjunction with federal and private funding, to aid in constructing a planned high-speed rail system in california. This chunk of funding would be directed to the SF-to-LA corridor in particular. SF to LA in 2.5 hours for $55?? Hellz yeah–let’s get building!  Maybe not the best use of funds right now, but damn it’d be sweet.

• Prop 2: Fair treatment of farm animals – YES
This requires by law that farm animals have enough room in their cages to move. This is more humane than not giving them the room to move.  http://yesonprop2.com/
(and even if you are not an animal rights activist: healthier farms = healthier food)

• Prop 3: Children’s Hospital Bond Act – YES
Authorizes $980 million in general obligation bonds for remodeling and equipping children’s hospitals in CA. Currently the California health care system is crippled by a staggering number of uninsured patients and underfunding for the struggling MediCal system. These financial woes are compounded by the Seismic Safety Law that went into effect in Jan of this year requiring that all CA hospitals renovate or rebuild in accordance with strict earthquake standards. Hospitals unable to comply face closure by 2013. I think the SF Chronicle put it best: “Our reservations about obtaining bond money through the initiative process are trumped by the need to assure that these facilities – known for their specialized care and groundbreaking research – remain open.”

• Prop 4: Waiting Period and Parental Notification for Abortion – NO NO NO
This would require that all women under the age of 18 get parental consent before they can be legally given an abortion. This poses a significant challenge to the right of women in this age group to have abortions. This is the third attempt to chip away at abortion rights for minors in the past few years. We think that is a shame.  I want to stress people vote NOOOOO on this dangerous legislation that would require young women who find themselves in difficult situations to tell their parents before receiving an abortion. Don’t get me wrong, I am a mother and would want my daughter to tell me if she were pregnant, but I DO NOT WANT the state FORCING her to do so.  http://www.noonprop4.org/

• Prop 5: Nonviolent Offenders: Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation – YES
According to the ACLU, An ambitious criminal justice reform measure, Proposition 5 offers common sense solutions to prison overcrowding by providing drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders, saving California taxpayers billions of dollars.?I just want to second the “yes” on this one – I’ve been hearing about it from the Drug Policy Alliance for months, and the consortium of groups including the ACLU and DPA that have been working really hard on this prop is excited about its potential to let CA become a model that influences criminal justice policy nationally in a more humane (and economically practical) direction. Big yes…Obama has been distracting me from making as much noise about this one as I should be. B/c as befits any common sense crime-related bill, it’s the subject of baseless “criminals are scary and are coming for your children, if Barack Obama and his cadre of terrorists doesn’t get them first” type campaigning.

• Prop 6: Criminal Penalties and Laws and Public Safety Funding – NO
This will allow more people under the age of 18 to be tried as adults. It is costly to the state and to society as it will mean more people are in jail.

• Prop 7: Renewable Energy – NO NO!
This prop is will force small renewable energy companies out of the market, disrupt that market, and is opposed by everyone with a pulse.  Too fast, too simple, unconsidered (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/05/ED7D137S5T.DTL)

• Prop 8: Limit on Marriage – NONONONONONO?This prop would write discrimination into an amendment to the state constitution. Prop 8 eliminates the rights of same sex couples to marry and states that the only legal marriages are ones between a woman and a man. It would significantly reverse America’s progress on equality by denying an already recognized right to a community that includes many individuals we know and admire. Furthermore, San Francisco has a strong tradition of honoring and celebrating diversity. We welcome people of all creeds, colors, beliefs and sexual orientations. As a result, this city stands as a beacon to those who seek to live their lives free from discrimination. It is also the reason San Francisco has been at the forefront of movements for civil rights and equality for more than a century. We can’t backpedal on this one.  http://www.noonprop8.com/home

• Prop 9: Criminal Justice System: Parole and Victims’ Rights – NO?According to the ACLU, Prop 9 is a well intentioned but poorly written and truly dangerous initiative. It will negatively impact California’s most vulnerable residents — our children — by diverting hundreds of millions from schools and education to spending on prisons and jails. It puts huge burdens on local law enforcement and creates more red tape but does not provide new services to victims.

• Prop 10: Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy – NO
Using less oil is good. So is developing renewable energy sources. However, the devil is in the details. The way “alternative fuel vehicle” is defined in this measure, the vast majority of the public funds set aside will go to unnecessary natural gas car and truck subsidies. This is a developed technology that private investors are already funding, and the vehicles are already selling well. More importantly there will be little or no reduction in the environmental impact, mainly because natural gas vehicles are only slightly cleaner than regular cars. Prop 10 is backed and funded by T. Boone Pickens, a Texas oilman who has recently made large investments in natural gas. It’s a bad return on taxpayer investment, basically designed to enrich a small set of businessmen.

• Prop 11: Redistricting Amendment – NO
This prop changes the authority over the geographic boundaries for state and federal congressional districts from elected representatives to an unelected commission of fourteen. Even if the process for selecting these fourteen people was not as absurdly convoluted as it is proposed, it would still be a bad idea to give fourteen people control over a power that is so contentious its abuse has earned its own moniker: gerrymandering.

• Prop 12: Veteran’s Bond Act – YES
This proposition would authorize the state to issue $900 million in bonds to the existing Cal-Vet Loan Program, to help veterans buy farms and homes. Con: The Cal-Vet Loan Program applies to all veterans, rich or poor, from combat or non-combat service scenarios. Pro: Veterans don’t get adequate support from the federal government, so a program like this is warranted.

THANK YOU!
VIVA LA VIDA
RESISTANCE IS FERTILE

DEFEND Amy Goodman, Free Press, F*CK THE RNC

You know Amy Goodman, one of the most TRUSTED names in the circulation of news and information, was wrongfully arrested while trying to cover the RNC.

this is wrong on its own, but more dangerous for the precedence it sets.

Stand up for the people who stand up for you

Sign a petition to have all charges dropped against Amy Goodman (Independent Journalist from Democracy Now). The first link is straight from Democracy Now’s site. They both are petitions to local and state gov’t officials offices in St. Paul MN to have all charges dropped against Amy Goodman and her associates.

TAKE ACTION HERE

The next link is from the freepress advocacy website. again, copy the whole bit of text, even if it wraps around to the second line:

https://secure.freepress.net/site/Advocacy?id=281

you can make a difference right now.

L

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